South African & International Fine Wine

Cape Town Wine

Lot 245

1998 First Growth Case

Bordeaux, 1998

12 (2 x 6) 750ml

The marquis lot at the Cape Town Strauss & Co Fine Wine Auction is a 12 bottle case of six First Growths from the 1998 vintage. (2 bottles of each wine). This case has been stored in Bordeaux by the leading Negociant, Duclot, curator of this exceptional case. It holds the finest provenance.

Condition Report

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Strauss & Co shall not be liable for any error, misstatement or omission made in respect of, inter alia, the authorship, attribution, genuineness, origin, date, age, condition or estimated selling price of a Lot contained in such a Condition Report, unless Strauss & Co engaged in intentional misleading or deceptive conduct or the information provided is clearly inaccurate.

The 1998 Petrus is unquestionably a fabulous effort boasting a dense plum/purple color as well as an extraordinary nose of black fruits intermixed with caramel, mocha, and vanilla. Exceptionally pure, super-concentrated, and extremely full-bodied, with admirable underlying acidity as well as sweet tannin, it reveals a superb mid-palate in addition to the luxurious richness for which this great property is known. The finish lasts for 40-45 seconds. Patience will definitely be required. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2040 – Robert Parker 98/100 (2001)

The 1998 Cheval Blanc, a blend of 65% Merlot and 35% Cabernet Franc, is deep garnet-brick in color and absolutely explodes with scents of exotic spices, incense, dried roses, cigar box and licorice, with a core of crème de cassis and dried cherries plus touches of black tea and dusty earth. Medium to full-bodied, it fills the mouth with rich, plushly textured fruit and then POW—it hits the mid-palate with an explosion of Chinese five spice and floral perfume sparks, leading to an epically long finish. This cannot fail to impress and can easily cellar for another 30 years or more. Lisa Perrotti-Brown eRobertParker.com 100/100 (2018)

Not a blockbuster, the 1998 possesses a dark garnet/purple color in addition to a complex bouquet of underbrush, cedar, walnuts, and licorice-tinged black currants. Although medium to full-bodied and moderately tannic, it lacks the expansiveness in the mid-palate necessary to be truly great. Moreover, the tannin is slightly aggressive, although that is hardly unusual in such a young Latour. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2030. – Robert Parker 90/100 (2001)

A blend of 81% Cabernet Sauvignon and 19% Merlot, the 1998 Lafite Rothschild is deep garnet with a hint of brick and gorgeous notions of sandalwood, crème de cassis, smoked meats, black pepper and garrigue with touches of chargrill, dried herbs and mincemeat pie. Medium-bodied, soft and plush on the palate, it has tons of mouth-filling savory and plum preserves flavors and a very long, savory finish. Delicious now, it should keep for 15-20 more years. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown eRobertParker.com 96/100 (2018)

Composed of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc, the 1998 Mouton Rothschild is deep garnet-brick in color with lovely crème de cassis, dried roses, hoisin and baking spice notes with underlying notions of dried cherries and mulberries plus touches of wood smoke, incense and forest floor. Medium to full-bodied and packed with rich fruit framed by firm, chewy tannins, it is stacked with complex, evolving flavors and finishes with incredibly long-lasting perfumed notes. According to winemaker Philippe Dhalluin, this needs about three hours of decanting at this stage. I simply love the place this wine is in right now, possessing plenty of mature, tertiary characters yet still sporting bags of fruit. It won’t be fading anytime soon either and should cellar nicely for 20-25+ more years. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown eRobertParker.com 98/100 (2018)

The 1998 Margaux's color is a dense ruby/purple. The wine is tannic and austere, but elegant, with notes of asphalt, blackberries, acacia flowers, and sweet, toasty oak. Subtle, rich, nicely-textured, and medium-bodied, it is built for the long haul. Anticipated maturity: 2006-2030. – Robert Parker 91/100 (2001)

Bordeaux

1998 was a top vintage in Bordeaux, though the right bank excelled more than the left with Cheval Blanc and Petrus offering benchmark vintages. Along with Mouton-Rothschild, Margaux, Lafite and Latour this is a wonderful purchase for a collector, or great investment for wines that will age for another few decades.